Wrong body at funeral

A family friend told Newsday that at some time during the service at the house of mourning, the casket lid was opened up for the bereaved to have a final look at the deceased, prompting mourners to shed tears.

“Her brother went up and started to cry,” related the friend. “But then one or two people looked in and said that this is the wrong person.” Mourners noticed that the body was not that of Aysha Mohammed known as “Aunt Aysha”, but another woman dressed in an outfit resembling traditional Baptist attire.

While both women - Mohammed and the unknown woman - were of East Indian descent, Mohammed was of slim build and with curly hair, while the other woman was of a heavier build and had straight hair. “There was an uproar and outrage,” the source related.

“I was very distressed.” The funeral home’s hearse quickly took off with the stranger’s body.

It returned about an hour later with Mohammed’s body, accompanied by a police guard. “They then carried on the service with the correct person.” Newsday was told that Mohammed’s relatives have engaged two top attorneys to consider their options against the funeral agency, one of the country’s largest.